Perks
by Troublesome Dragon
Summary: She wondered sometimes how he managed to stay so close when she pulled the others back.


Perks

Asuka had come through the door, holding a stack of essays on what the kids had done over the winter break. Hardly the most entertaining way to spend the day but the exercise was meant to stir their interest in writing. From the looks of it, all her kids had written something down, albeit in varying degrees of quality. There were a couple who had forgotten about it and written a few sentences before class as evidenced by the unsteady scribble of letters present on their papers. There were the kids who had written more than required, detailing their eventful winter breaks. Then, of course, there were the average kids who wrote the bare minimum. Speaking of the bare minimum, she noted Judai had decided to just leave his dirty dishes in the sink.

Not that she would complain about it, he wasn't around enough for his slovenly behavior to matter. She preferred the days he spent here to be peaceful for both their sakes. That way, he was sure to come back sometime. The idea was naive, he stopped by whoever's place was most convenient. She dropped the stack of papers by the small stand near the couch and perused the stack of bills and letters on the coffee table she had left there the night before. With Judai around, she noted her electric bill was lower. He habitually would turn the lights off, preferring the natural darkness to settle in. It was one of the many small things that inconvenienced her, particularly when she was grading papers. She lived with it because well, he never stuck around this long. She was close to breaking Johan's record of two months of Judai's prolonged stay. Since she wasn't around the whole day, Asuka could only assume some mission nearby was keeping him around, but if it wasn't, she could put up with his minor annoyances for a few more days. Of course, Asuka tried not to let her competitive streak get the best of her but considering Judai's track record, keeping him around this long was no small accomplishment, even if she had nothing to do with it.

She wrote out a check to send to the electric company later. The next thing in the stack was a familiar cordial invitation to attend one of Manjoume's duels in some tournament he was apart of. It was a copy he always sent to her as a subtle sort of date. She opened it and skipped the automated writing printed on it. She looked at the two innocent little check boxes. She had two options. Let him know he was on his own again which would mean checking without guest, or his ever hopeful, Plus one? Asuka knew that she would have to decline. She held little interest in being publicly displayed in a crowded stadium, and he would try something if she ever decided to attend. So, she sealed her response in the provided envelope.

Next, Jim's monthly letter had come. The thing was lumpy as he often stuffed random knickknacks he found inside. She tore it open with great interest. Today, her reward was a bunch of shiny rocks he had picked up on the beach. She laughed at a few of his small anecdotes on his adventures in Australia. Then, at the end, there was a serious if casual invitation to stop by sometime. He suggested it, every once in a while in some shape or form. Asuka always was tempted to go, but there were many practical reasons she didn't. Her funds for one, she hadn't been a teacher all that long, and she was reluctant to let go of her small nest egg. She could ask Judai to transport her there, but she would have to ask Judai, some part of her felt that would be inappropriate. Thank you for spending time with me but could you take me to see someone else instead, she rehearsed. No, she decided, even though he certainly would. So, she didn't, and she wouldn't. She spent an hour or so writing a response back while trying to mention Judai as little as possible. Asuka might accidentally start complaining about him, and she wouldn't want word of that coming back to Judai. That was her reasoning anyway.

The rest were bills, mundane easily taken care of bills. She had yet to set up any online payments but in certain instances it was simply cheaper not to. She set the stack aside. Asuka would mail them later as lunch time was near and so Judai would join her shortly. She went to the kitchen, adjacent to the living room. She'd cooked shrimp again, doing so made her strangely nervous. After about the fourth day of his extended visit, he had asked her to cook something else although he had later reassured her it had nothing to do with the way she cooked it. It had been a few weeks since then. Perhaps, he would be in the mood for it again. She heard a small thud in the living room that suggested he had transported himself inside. He whistled, and she felt some unrecognized tension in her shoulders release. Judai did claim to love shrimp. She had been silly to think he wouldn't want any.

"I was afraid you'd never cook any again after what I said last time," Judai said as he grabbed a plate from the cabinet. She nodded and gave him his share. It wasn't nearly as much as she gave him when she knew he wouldn't be staying long. She wondered if he noticed these things at all.

"Thanks," he said and sat down. She joined him soon after. For a while, they ate dinner silently. Then, Judai began to rock back and forth in his chair. Asuka tried to think of something to say that wouldn't bore him. He spoke up first.

"What are you doing with your kids tomorrow?" Judai asked. Luckily, she was planning something that would mildly interest him at least.

" I'm teaching them about fossils. They'll each get one cookie so they can dig around for the chocolate chips," Asuka said. Judai frowned. She tried to think of what she could have possibly said to upset him.

"But cookies are for eating," he said. She let her fork drop back onto her plate, seeing he was serious.

"I don't exactly have the resources for them to dig up a real fossil, but it's not like it's the only thing we will be doing," She said and proceeded to explain everything else. Judai didn't seem to want to listen past that. He excused himself, once he was done. He absently turned off the light in the kitchen.

"Judai turn the light back on. I'm still eating," Asuka said. Surprised, he did as told and walked out the door. He walked, she realized in awe. He never did that anymore if he could help it, for long distances anyway. Asuka put the dishes into the dishwasher. She went to her room and let herself fall onto the bed. She'd complained, and he had walked out. Asuka considered the matter rationally. He hadn't transported out of her apartment. He'd walked. So, he should eventually come back. Also, what were the odds he'd leave his cat and backpack behind as well? He definitely would come back. She hoped and that was the problem in a nutshell.

Asuka could distance herself from everyone else, even her brother. She had effectively done so when she decided to stay in America. The flight took a full twelve hours, and he often would be too exhausted to effectively surprise her. Fubuki would call and beg her to pick him up when he did try. So, his visits had become regulated and sparse in comparison to before. The distance shielded her from her past friends and acquaintances. Asuka hadn't chosen to stay for that reason, but it still held true.

For everyone except, Judai, he could be with her in an instant. As easy as it was, his visits were rare, and unwittingly, she let him do what he pleased because of it. Dear old Judai, never stopped by. So, she had accommodated him as best she could, and now, she thought of him when she should be grading papers. Retrieving the stack from the living room, she graded papers until it grew dark. She flicked the switch to turn her alarm on and let herself drift. Asuka would let him know exactly how much he bugged her the next day.

She didn't see him this morning. Eating a quick breakfast, she stepped out the door. Lacking any sort of car, she arrived at the school after a twenty minute walk. She opened the door to her classroom, and there he was, holding a giant dinosaur bone. Her kids were crowded around excited.

"There are more in the back but you'll have to dig them up," he told the kids, producing a collective Yay from the class. The kids looked at her and waited to be released.

"Go ahead, I'll be right there," she said, and they ran out as soon as they were given consent.

"Don't worry, the bones I buried outside are replicas. Jim and I made them, took all night. This one is real though," he said and lifted the bone higher into the air. She steadied it as the bone wobbled under his grip.

"Maybe, you should put it down," Asuka said. He nodded putting the bone on her desk. Judai sat in her chair, her new chair that was now filled with dirt and who knew what else. He did look exhausted.

"Thank you," she said inspecting the bone that was the length of her desk, being close to Judai, definitely had its perks. At the moment, it defeated the urge she had to name his flaws.

"Let's go outside," she said. It took him two tries but he managed to get out of the chair with her help. When they went outside to relieve her aids, the children were chasing each other with dinosaur heads. She stopped the game and proceeded with her lesson, Judai adding facts here and there.


End file.
